In order to close the toe of the thus produced tubular operational methods are known, disclosed in the documents EP 635593, EP 592376 and WO 97/20089, according to which each article is driven in such a way as to dispose, the homologous stitches of the two semiranks, into which the last knitted rank can be virtually subdivided, in a corresponding relationship allowing the sewing or hooking-up thereof afterwards by means of the devices provided either in the knitting station, that is, in correspondence of the textile machine of the machine, or in a separate knitting or hooking-up station.
However, the machines operating according to the operational techniques known at present may exhibit such drawbacks consisting mainly in their mechanical and structural complexity and in the impossibility of practically treating articles characterized by a very high fineness.
Also known are manual processes for closing the toe of tubular articles such as stockings, according to which each stocking is manually fed to a seaming or hooking-up machine which provides for joining the two facing edges of the toe portion of the articles. It is to be pointed out on this regard that the manual seaming and hooking-up imply excessive times and costs with respect to the current manufacturing requirements.